


Turbulence

by CaseyStar



Category: Firefly
Genre: Lust, M/M, Pining, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-23
Updated: 2013-07-23
Packaged: 2017-12-21 03:34:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/895302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaseyStar/pseuds/CaseyStar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Earth bound to shake off the crazies of being in space for so long, Simon and Mal have an altercation that could change life about Serenity</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turbulence

**Author's Note:**

> Over on tumblr [ kcsplace](http://kcsplace.tumblr.com), so come say hello here if you want.

"Kaylee, never more than you can carry!" Mal called at his mechanic as she passed by him. "I'm not made of credit." 

"Oh, Cap'n, not to fret, I got a good deal on it. Honest." Kaylee's round face, shiny with sweat and oil, was barely visible behind the armful of luh-suh cradled lovingly in her arms, Book trailing her like a faithful puppy as he tried to forestall the impending avalanche.

"Oooh, synchronisers." Book soon found his arms full as the young woman needed her hands free to dig through the useless trash for some treasure only she could see.

Mal shook his head as he wondered how much time Kaylee was going to be spending flat on her back for her purchases, and if the Shepherd would be so eagersome to help if he knew how the much-needed parts were being paid for.

Unable to relax, even for a spell, Mal's eyes scanned the crowd of people gathered at the market on the backwater planet, as far from the Alliance as could get. The busily whirring exhaust fans that spanned one wall were losing the battle to pump out the stench of smoke, sizzling fats and the pungent tang of cramped people. The man knew that if he focused hard enough he'd be able to see out past the blades, out to the planet surface.

There was little out there; a smattering of tin shacks and ramshackle homes that looked like they'd been dropped from space, their occupants barely scraping by, pouring whatever little money they had back down their throats in an attempt to ease the passing of their useless lives. It was like a hundred other planets forgotten by the Alliance on the outer rim. Millions of miles of desolation and despair that acted as a dandy place to carry out a variety of clandestine dealings including, but likely not limited to, body dumping, ransoms, drop-offs and any amount of exciting crime. Baking during the day, cold as ice at night, but it was getting real crowded on the ship and Mal had been given little choice - either get dirt-bound or shoot half his crew.

Jayne had near bolted from the boat, liable off to find where drink, women and violence congregated in order to get himself some of all three if possible.

Which left the strange siblings.

Mal huffed out a laugh that died upon his lips, glaring at the passer-by that spared him a glance. When he'd suggested the need for a little shore leave, this was the last place that he'd ever have suspected the doctor would willingly go. His pretty clothes would stink for days, the crowds would push and clutter the ways and there was always the risk that his sister would carry out her own particular brand of crazy, alerting whatever passed for law enforcement in this place.

But there had been something different about the good doctor this morning. As he'd pushed those gorram ridiculous glasses up higher onto his nose, there was a defiance to him, a previously unseen determination as he'd stepped off the ramp onto the planet. As River and Kaylee had bound effortlessly ahead, pausing only briefly to circle back to the group like herd dogs to urge on the slower crew members, before scurrying off again, Mal had watched the man taking everything in, absorbing the new experience and filing it away.

A slow burn of arousal flickered in his belly as he thought of watching the young man walking away from him, his tight pants emphasising his rear and long legs. That was always Mal's problem. Impossible people. Always wanting the people he couldn't have. And Simon was like some sort of Knight from Earth-that-was. Brave, resourceful, loyal to a fault, as long as the situation involved his sister, so what would he ever be able to see in Mal? A petty thief? Criminal? A means to an end?

 

Sighing, Mal moved his way through the throng, blocking out the din as he was jostled by numerous elbows and shoulders. He'd lost sight of the Tams after River had danced along an alleyway after a brightly coloured balloon, her brother following to keep her out of trouble, nobody needing a repeat of Jiangyin.

Passing a stall selling unidentifiable meat on sticks, Mal's mouth watered, reminding him that it must have been some time since he last ate anything that wasn’t protein rations for him to be tempted. He spent a moment contemplating the food before moving on, seeing Kaylee and Book moving away in the direction of the ship on the other side of the market. Seemed that most of the crew had had enough of the planet for one day and were retreating to the security of Serenity.

It was while he was occupied staring at the ship that strong hands seized his shoulders and hauled him backwards into an alley. He ducked down and twisted his body to wrench himself free, twisting as he punched his right arm out, connecting hard with his assailant's gut, before stepping out of the strike zone.

"Simon?" Mal was sure that the question was delivered in a manly fashion without a squeak of surprise. "Liou mahng. What is wrong in that head of yours?" 

Simon didn’t answer, just once again clasped Mal's shoulders and pressed him back against the wall, pressing his mouth to Mal's, forcing the thin lips open to thrust his tongue into the warm cavern behind, feet planted firmly against the struggling he was obviously waiting for. The captain was too shocked to respond. The man carrying out exploratory surgery on his mouth was not the quiet, reserved man he knew Simon Tam to be. He shuddered as the other man's nimble tongue rasped across his palette and retreated, the firm mouth removing from his own.

Opening his eyes, that he hadn’t noticed had slid shut, Mal took in the young man before him, face flushed, eyes wide and wild, a look Mal had been told indicated fear. He made no move towards the doctor, to either kiss or kill. The two men just stood panting on either side of the alley, both waiting for the other to respond to what had just happened.

"What the…" Mal couldn’t even find the words to ask the question in his head. He just stared at the man opposite him.

Mal could see the future all so clearly if he just allowed himself this.  
_  
He watched as he reached out, hand connecting with Simon's silk clad shoulder, fingertips gripping into the warm flesh beneath. Simon stopped and turned, expression unreadable, as ever. The young man stepped back into the Captain's space, all kinds of foolish and defiant. Mal took in the man before him; the fancy clothes, polished shoes and perfect hair. Standing out massively in the crowd and symbolising everything Mal wanted. His hands punched into the waistcoat, the slick material sliding between his fingers as he hauled the lithe body towards him, bringing his mouth into harsh contact with Simon's._

_The angle was all wrong, and their noses clashed, eyes opening wide in shock before trying again, lips sliding together as they pressed into teeth. Simon forced Mal back again until his shoulders once more were making intimate with the wall,, his hands trapped useless 'tween their chests, torn between clutching the other man tighter and fighting to free his hands to better indulge in the body pressed against his. It had been awhile since he'd been with another man, or anyone other than his own hand and imagination, but he was pretty sure that he knew where everything went and he intended on taking this real easy._

_Although he may not have much of a say in anything. It was clear that Simon was in control of the kiss, hell the whole encounter. As the other man's tongue pressed deeper into his mouth, forcing his jaw to open wider, Mal was happy to surrender control, giving himself over to this confident version of the young man, enjoying the feeling of being so well manhandled._

_As his knees threatened to come out from under him, bound to dump him on his ass, Mal pushed Simon away, taking in the desperate sound of his panting, fingers groping wildly in the air as they tried to reconnect with any part of Mal they could, eyes stricken once again with the possibility of rejection._

_"Ship." Mal barked out, trying to keep his breathing under control as he tried vainly to tuck his shirt back into his pants from where Simon's nimble fingers had ripped it. He pulled his coat around him despite the heat in the market, wiling to endure the discomfort in order to hide his arousal. Simon still stood where Mal had pushed him to, waistcoat wrinkled and askew, lips swollen and red, a hint of a blush upon his cheeks._

_"Simon." The young man's head jerked round, eyes glazed as he stared at Mal. "Ship." Mal repeated, grabbing the closest wrist and dragging the doctor along with him. "Now."_

_The entire trip back to the ship was an exercise in not looking behind himself, not hurrying, just blending in with the rest of the crowd, acting as if he wasn’t on the edge of getting everything he wanted. He didn’t even pause to look around once back on Serenity, slowly climbing the stairs out of the cargo hold and striding along the gangplanks as he navigated the way to his quarters, pushing the door open with his foot and lowering himself down the ladder, shedding his coat at the bottom._

_Moments later, steps on the ladder shattered the silence as Simon descended into Mal's space, finding himself crowded against the wall as Mal braced his weight on one arm, his other hand trailing down Simon's cheek, the slight rasp of stubble belying the youthful look of the man._

_"Is this what you want?" The hand trailed lower, fingers grasping the proud neck, drawing the man closer into another kiss, gentler than before, mouths butting gently together, hands rougher, testing the other’s strength, the embrace growing frustrated as lust-addled hands couldn’t get past layers of cloth._

_Mal stepped back, unbuttoning his ruined shirt, pulling it off and tossing it, away from the action. Simon couldn’t help his hands from caressing the revealed flesh, the skin cast a near unhealthy yellow pallor by the artificial lights overhead. Beneath his trained fingers he could feel every scar, every evidence of hurt that he, and others, had patched. How many had been received in the act of protecting himself and his sister? Could he ever repay the debt he now owed? He jumped slightly as Mal's hands effortlessly relieved him of his shirt and waistcoat, the buttons pinging sharply against the walls and bunk, tiny missiles scattering wildly._

_Mal's suspenders lay resting against his thighs, and Simon fiercely wanted to pull them back onto his bare chest, the contrast between the warm skin and the play at clothing turning him on beyond belief. Or remove them from the buttons that restrained them and bind Mal's arms above his head, completely at his mercy. He threw himself at Mal, toppling the other man onto the bed, falling mostly on top of him, burying his face into Mal's neck, nipping and biting the soft skin, his fingers raking down the bared chest, leaving score marks before moving his head to the side to align their mouths, starting another round of kissing._

_Mal was no longer lying passive, rolling them over as he nudged their hips together, starting a gentle rocking motion before the movement became more of a grinding, hands forcing between their chests to fumble with the buckles of each others belts, fingers working to rid each other of their pants. Unsuccessful, Mal pushed himself up onto one arm, allowing enough space for Simon to undo both buckles and zips, Mal's free hand massaging the doctor through his pants, rubbing harder as the other man responded. When his zip was open, he wriggled free of the material, pulling Simon's away as well, moving down the slim body to take the shaft in his hand, his touch teasing and light._

_Simon's breath left his throat with a soft whine, his hips arching off the bed as he tried to encourage Mal to move faster, grip harder, the words spilling from his lips as orders, hands moving to grip Mal's, force him to obey. When Mal finally took him seriously and began to press hard kisses around his groin, nose rustling the crisp hairs there, inhaling the rich scent of Simon's arousal and need._

_Simon's head fell back onto the pillow as finally the wet heat of Mal's mouth descended, a pleasure he was sure he would never tire of, the wicked tongue sucking and licking him to full hardness as he raised an arm to tangle his fingers in Mal's short hair, riding the movement of the Captain's head rather than forcing him to take more._

_The calluses on Mal's hands dragged and scratched as he rubbed the sensitive inner thighs he was nestled between, exerting gentle pressure to push them apart to make more room for himself, moaning as Simon's free hand was able to play across the top of his shoulders as together they twisted and writhed. Settled now, Mal curled one hand around the base of Simon's cock, jerking him off with short, sharp movements as he took more of the shaft into his mouth._

_" Tzao gao." Simon's expletive caused Mal to chuckle as he pressed his tongue into the small scar under the head, flicking the spot over and over as Simon gasped and arched, fingers tangling in the hair in his grasp, forcing himself deeper into that tortuous mouth as he felt his balls tighten and draw up against the restraining hand, the added stimulation too much. With one final buck of his hips, Simon stuffed one hand into his mouth to stifle his shout as he spilled down Mal's throat; the gentle sucking the older man continued draining him dry. He whimpered when it all became too much, pulling himself free as he tugged on Mal's hair and shoulders to bring him up the bed, to lie atop him._

_Mal crawled up the thin bunk to scoot half on/half off his lover, shivering in relief as Simon reached between their bodies to grasp his own neglected erection in an unsure hand. Hesitantly, he flicked his eyes to Mal's, needing reassurance that his touch was pleasuring. Mal's eyes were tightly closed, his jaw lax as he relaxed into the sensations, hips rolling into the hand stroking him. Encouraged, Simon began to tug more aggressively, thumb sliding over the thick mushroom head, causing Mal to grunt and thrust harder, the shaft in Simon's hand swelling further. The doctor grinned and gripped tighter, finding a rhythm that seemed to work, and shifted his body to reach his mouth to Mal's, sucking the fuller lower lip before nipping at his lover's mouth. It was enough and Mal came, pulsing and twitching as his release saturated the sheet they lay on, the scent of their rutting filling the room._  
  
Hands clenched at his sides, Mal squeezed his eyes shut as he fought off the vision. But it kept coming, waves and waves of the future washed over him.  
__  
Simon was astride him, their hands clasped for leverage as he rode his lover with a fervour only reserved for times when their job had gone bad. Mal watched Simon's face as he danced on the end of his dick, eyes shut as he arched to find the best position, his hair loose and sweat-slicked against his forehead, his pretty mouth uttering near silent words.

_"Oh god, oh god," he whispered, lifting his hips in counterpoint to Simon, hissing as the younger man gripped his hands tighter at the added sensation and began to move more desperately, his head thrown back as he began to mewl constantly, all rhythm lost in the hunt for gratification._

_Simon's climax hit like a punch to the gut, heat flooding out from his groin, every muscle seizing into sharp relief before he collapsed in a panting heap across Mal's chest smearing his release upon their skin,, mouth nuzzling against the sweaty neck, lazy kisses pressed into overheated skin as Mal continued to thrust into his hole, crazy in his need to come._

_"Come on, Captain," Simon purred, ruthlessly taking advantage of Mal's kink, "give it up." Simon moved to kiss him, forcing his tongue into the other man's mouth, fucking him right back. Mal grunted and thrust again ,hips juddering as he came, a few short thrusts as the rest of his body froze, his moan swallowed by Simon._  
  
The more Mal fought against it, the more he could see. It wasn’t just sex, although the couple indulged in more that their fair share of exploring just what they could accomplish on the ship.  
_  
Nights spent sitting at the table in the dining area discussing their day, drinking Kaylee's wine and hot coffee. Mal slowly opening up about growing up on Shadow, the dreams he had of somehow getting his parents off the damn rock and somewhere nice. Simon reminiscing about his schooling, talking of the mentors he had, patients he'd lost, people he'd saved. Going after each other when they lost their tempers, being the soft place to land and the hard place to throw a punch when everything went wrong, keeping each other in check, much to the relief of the crew._

 _But somehow, Mal would fuck it up. He'd say something, or do something, or not say something and everything would go to tzao gao. He would have to be toeing around his own ship, avoiding the accusatory looks from Zoe and Kaylee, dodging the uncomfortable consolatory conversation with Wash and crude attempts at sympathy from Jayne. He knew Book would one day turn up asking to speak with him, warm voice and gentle hand. And eventually, Simon would pack himself and River up, and leave the ship, placing their safety in the hands of someone else._  
  
And he couldn't bear that. 

"Maybe we should talk about this." Simon's voice shattered the silence that had fallen.

"No…no, would be better. You’re the doctor on my ship. You patch up my crew. You don’t jump on me…" Mal wasn’t sure how to finish, unable to stop staring at the ground.

"But you want this. You want me to be more than that. I've seen you watch me; I've seen how you react to me touching you. I'm not as stupid as you think. Nor as naïve."

"This is not something I want to be talking over. Let's just head back to the boat, forget any of this happened."

"You don’t want that!" Simon displayed an emotional reaction that Mal hadn't seen outside of the doctor working on the troubles of his beloved sister. "Tell me. Tell me why."

"You fog things up. You always have." The words were out before Mal could stop them, justifying Simon's belief that he was desired. "I can't be putting my crew in danger 'cos I'm worryin' on my lover's feelings."

Simon snorted. "You've never worried on me before, why would you start?"

Mal looked at him startled. "'Cos I'd be caring for you. Caring that you didn’t see me as the heartless bastard I am." Where was this coming from? Why couldn’t he shut his mouth? Before Simon was able to argue, Mal pushed him away. "We ain’t talking on this." He pulled himself together and strode out the alley, feeling Simon's eyes following him until he turned a corner, finding another deserted spot in which to hide. He leant his head against the warm wall, before doubling over and retching what little food he had eaten that day, suddenly glad he hadn’t succumbed to the mystery meat. Moving a little further down the way, he allowed his body to slide down the wall and curled up around himself, cursing the day Kaylee had brought the Tam's aboard.

 

Just as he'd thought, Mal found Zoe aboard Serenity when he finally dragged himself back to her, a sated smile gracing her full lips which instantly disappeared as she took in Mal's appearance.

"We got trouble, Sir?"

Anxiety creased her brow, her fingers tightening on the mug of coffee in her hand. For a moment, all Mal could do was focus on that cup. Once all the mugs in the dining area had simply been metal finished but then Kaylee had come aboard. Within days, Mal had walked in on her painting the kitchen and when she'd done that she'd started on the mugs as she'd had gallons of paint left. She'd called it clover but it was all green to him. The paint was starting to chip and fade in places, a fitting tribute to their hard lives. He looked back up.

"Now why you gotta go making assumptions that I can't go kick the dirt around without making an enemy?"

The gentle smile returned to the woman's face, lighting up her features. "Experience, Sir." It was almost a question.

The outer door clanged open, heralding the return of Jayne, the large man swaying somewhat as he made his way across the cargo hold, a smirk on his face. Evidently he'd found what he'd been looking for as he reeked of booze and sex. Mal couldn't rightly see any evidence of bruises but there was no way to know if the other man had been able to indulge his lust for violence. As he passed the pair at the bottom of the stairs, Jayne reached out one large hand and clapped Mal on the back, nearly sending the man flying.

"Damn fine planet, Mal. Damn fine." He continued on, lurching wildly towards the small door at the back of the hold, one arm reaching out in front of him to guide him through the hatch. "I'll be in my bunk." The words were barely out of the merc's mouth before he stumbled on the stairs and disappeared from view. Mal and Zoe glanced at each other, both wondering if it was worth checking on the man, but neither seemed greatly inclined.

"Well, that's everyone back now. So, seems to me this trip was successful. Crew seems nice and relaxed. 'Cept for you of course." Zoe gestured at her captain. "What's got you more on edge then before?"

A clank from above drew Mal's gaze to where Simon was trying to coax River down from one of the gangplanks, the doctor's voice, low and calming, was barely audible as River struggled and writhed as she fought to remained balanced on the metal railing despite the perils that would befall her should she lose her footing.

His reply was strangely curt. "This is a place of business and I'd take it as a kindness if you didn't invite yourself into my affairs."

Zoe's expression hardened, taking a step back and placing her cup on the bottom step, before turning back to face Mal, arms crossed on her chest, her stance confrontational. She found her Captain's gaze to be elsewhere and followed his eye line to where Simon now stood by himself, River having given in to her brother's wishes and walked away, probably to find Kaylee and explore her new purchases.

Simon's eyes where directly on Mal, neither man seeming to even blink as they stared at each other, Simon's hands wrapped around the handrail, knuckles white before pushing himself away and breaking the gaze. But Mal didn't stop focusing on the space vacated by the younger man, his whole body slumping in defeat, a deep sigh escaping his lips.

"Gonna get bumpy." Mal's voice was small, little more than a whisper.

"Always is, Sir."


End file.
